Thai Drivers License

I may have mentioned elsewhere that in February 2017 I got my Thai Drivers License for both a car and a motorbike. I did a bit of research and seemed to get a bit of contradictory advice from the internet aswell as from my missus 555, she knows a friend who knows someone and things have all changed, before easy now very hard was what I was told 555.

So back in feb I made my missus take me to the local Transport Office and ask them directly, this is in Chiang Rai so maybe different in other provinces. They actually had a brochure on what was required and it seemed straight forward to me. My missus said they would make me do the full theory test and then the practical test. This is NOT the case if you have an international drivers licence, next hurdle is a certificate of residency from the Chiang Rai Visa Office, again my missus said I will not be eligible as I was just on a 3 week holiday, we went to the Visa office and got the letter, at a cost of 305 baht and took about 10 mins, obviously had to show my passport and Paer had to confirm I was staying at her(our) house. Paer refused to say she was wrong and said I was lucky because man in Visa office like you 555.....I showed him some pics of our house 555

Next step was to get a medical certificate, we went to the local doctor and he would not issue a letter, dont know why ?........so we had to go to the local hospital and had to cue up for about an hour, blood pressure check and check for heart beat and asked by the doctor "Are you OK" and then hand over 80 baht and get the letter. The female doctor looked about 20 years old to me, she could speak English OK and told me she was 25, in her first year as a doctor.

So armed with the letter of residency and a medical certificate and multiple copies of my passport, international drivers licence and my Western Australian Drivers Licence we went back to apply for my Thai Drivers Licence, instead of getting the Car and Motorbike on one Licence they issue a separate one for Car and for Motorbike. We saw the same lady we saw the week before, a very sour looking old lady who just looked so unhappy ?.......anyway once all the paperwork was checked I then had to go upstairs and do a reaction test, I was abit unsure of what to do as the young girl conducting the test had no English, your supposed to get 2 x attempts, I think I had about 6 once I worked out what was required, she just laughed and let me keep trying 555 Once that was passed its back downstairs and get a photo taken, both my Car and Motorbike Licence was issued about 10 minutes later.

So for me to get both Car and Motorbike License I required.............

1/ Letter from Immigration

2/ Medical Certificate

3/ Passport Copies

4/ International drivers Licence

5/ Pass the reaction test

BTW they wouldn't take a photo of me in a singlet, I had to go to the car to change into a T-Shirt for the photo on my license.

Just renewed my 5 yr licence again and apart from paperwork and a 1hr safety video it's a non-event. Just wait in queues until called, pay your 565 bt, have photo taken and 10 mins later out you go. Eye candy and a good book makes the wait sufferable.

I got my old paper license wet about a year ago and had to upgrade to the new plastic one. Bit of a pain in the arse as the old bitch in my provincial office would not issue it as she thought the original one, which I had been using for about 40 years, was a forgery. I must admit the photo did not look much like me anymore.

Got it done in about 15 minutes in Bangkok so a happy ending anyway. Where my address is written on the back is starting to rub off already. As it's a lifetime license I guess when all the writing is gone will mean I have to die. I should take more care of it.

My previous 2 Thai drivers licenses (motorbike & car) were for a 2 year period. They expire 28 December 2017, but I can't renew until they expire... for some strange reason. That means I will be riding around for a week on an expired license over the New years holidays. It always takes a week to do all the paper work: motorcycle testing, registration and licensing. A document showing proof of residency at my hotel from the mall way out of town. That takes 2 days. Then, the all day wait at the divers license office on Hang Dong road. The test is simple if you already have a license... can you see red, green and amber. My only problem is I am a bit colour blind and their amber looks a bit like yellow green to me. Once I get that sorted out I'm okay and good to go.

HOWEVER!!! I've been told by friends that they have changed the rules AGAIN!! I was told that an international drivers license is only good for 2 months. And, they are no longer giving drivers licenses to tourists on extended tourist visas... which is the one I have. I guess I'll find out on the 28th of December.

Ian, you are wrong about them expiring to be able to renew. I renewed my last 2 year licence to a 5 year licence 6 months prior to expiring. The new expiry was forward dated to my birthday so ended up with a 5 1/2 year renewal.

Ian, you are wrong about them expiring to be able to renew. I renewed my last 2 year licence to a 5 year licence 6 months prior to expiring. The new expiry was forward dated to my birthday so ended up with a 5 1/2 year renewal.

Maybe it is different for someone with an extended tourist visa like mine. I'm only going by what I was told at the office last time I tried to renew before my due date. I would love to get a 5 year license, but I'm not a retired resident. Anyway, it does seem to change all the time and it depends on who is in the office on that particular date. It can also be different from location to location.

Anyway, I will give it a try BEFORE the due date and see what happens and I will report back here. I hate arguing with cops intent on getting their scam money.

Ian, you are wrong about them expiring to be able to renew. I renewed my last 2 year licence to a 5 year licence 6 months prior to expiring. The new expiry was forward dated to my birthday so ended up with a 5 1/2 year renewal.

Could be a Phuket phenomena.
I waited before my 12 month licence expired before getting the 5 yr job.

A tourist visa should be sufficient to do same.
Before if you tried to get the 5yr job before the 12 month one expired they'd just give you another 12 month one..... that's CM.